Thursday, 7 April 2011

Looking for growing space in Digbeth

At this point in time we have so much access to information on how to live a healthy lifestyle; how much exercise we should do, how many units of alcohol we shouldn't exceed, what foods are good for us, etc.

But with prices of fresh fruit and vegetables booming and a bag of chips still £1 who can still afford to eat a healthy diet?

It would appear that people are getting sick and tired of paying over the odds for vegetables that have travelled over seas, grown in soils that are pumped full of chemicals, when they can grow their own organic vegetables for a fraction of the price.

Communities all over England are now taking it into their own hands and working together to set up allotments and grow-sites; and now Birmingham Friends of the Earth are jumping on the bandwagon! We want to create a grow-site in Digbeth for residents and people working in the area.

We have the knowledge, we have the hands to help produce our urban allotment, but what we do not have is the land!

There is so much disused land in Digbeth, but finding a piece of land we can use even for one year is proving extremely difficult.

If anyone knows of any sites in Digbeth that may be available, even temporarily, please contact rosie@birminghamfoe.org.uk or call me on (0121) 632 6909.

Our aim is to produce a grow-site with enough space for at least 10 plots, space for 2/3 compost bins and a shed for storing tools, ideally with a water point. Which we can then open up to the public for a day and people can come and sign up for a bed.